Safety whiffletree-hook



H. D. BROWN.

SAFETY WHIFFLETREE HOOK.

APPLICATION man rm. 5. ms.

1., 1 9 1 1 l, Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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HUGH I). BROWN, OF ITI-IACA, NEW YORK.

SAFETY WHIFFLETREE-HOOK.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGH D. BROWN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety l Vhiflletree-Hooks, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety whiflle-tree hook.

The present invention is in the form of a safety attaching hook carried by a Whililetree and constituting a coupling means for attaching the traces thereto, the device being of such an arrangement as to prevent the accidental removal of the trace therefrom, thus preventing accidents due to the unhooking and dropping of the trace. v

It being understood that the two traces composing a part of the usual harness are designed for attachment to the opposite ends of a Whittle-tree bar positioned directly in the rear of a draft-animal, the present arrangement provides a hook that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and designed for permanent attachment one at each end of the bar whereby the traces may be locked attached thereto positively preventing any accidental detachment of the traces.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views z-Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention, the latch being shown by dotted lines in its open position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon line III-III of 1.

It will be understood that the device is designed for the safety attachment of harness traces to the opposite ends of a swingletree or to the draft-bars of a whiflle-tree, the invention being herein illustrated Specification of,I.etters Patent.

vided for the purposes Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Application filed February 5, 1916. Serial No. 76,447.

mounted upon a free end of such a member or bar 10. A metallic cap 11 is permanently secured over the end of the bar 10 by means of bolts or rivets 12. The cap 11 has a U- shaped hook 26 carried by the outer end of the cap preferably integrally formed with the cap and provided with pivoting lugs 27 upon its inner face at a point substantially opposite the free end 28 of the hook. An angular tongue 29 is pivoted in the said lugs 27 and has its shorter end 30 terminating in a U-shaped socket 31 adapted'to fit over the inner face of the hook end 28, while a substantially semi-circular clip 32 of thin resilient metal is carried by the opposite end of the tongue 29 for removable engagement with the base portion or shank 33 of the said hook, the said clip having a slightly be apparent, it being understood that the tongue 29 is normally maintained closed by means of the resilient clip 32 and that the harness trace (not shown) has the opening or eye thereof mounted upon the hook 26,

the said tongue 29 being readily shifted manually to its open releasing position, as best illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The device is confined to employment as an attaching means for traces or tugs of a harness as carried by swingletrees or whifl'le-trees or other members of the vehicle or member to be propelled. The invention is not broadly claimed as a snap hook and it is especially designed and proherein enumerated. The invention requires only a few parts and it will be understood that the same is re tained closed sufliciently to prevent any accidental detachment of the trace although it is readily shifted manually for releasing the latter.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proportion and details of construction Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new is 'A Whittle-tree member comprising a cap, a U-shaped hook projecting from the end thereof, an angular tongue pivoted to the inner side of said hook and having its shorter arm provided With a semi-oiroular socket at its free hook closing end and a 10 HUGH D. BROVN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, I). (3.3 

